NUTRITION OF ADOLESCENT GIRLS: A WINDOW TO HEALTHY FUTURE GENERATION

The nutritional needs of the adolescents are critical for the wellbeing of the society as healthy adolescents open the window of healthy adulthood having skills and efficiency for the development of the economy and the society as well. Adolescent girls, especially are exposed to multiple layers of vulnerability which affects their physical and mental development. Adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to anemia due to their unique physical and psychological changes that occur during this stage of life.The present study aims to assess the nutritional status of adolescent girls in India and its’ associated risk factors so that some strategic interventions can be adopted to minimize this multifaceted problem of nutrition. The available literature and the database of the study reveals that the adolescent generation of the country has been facing the triple challenges of underweight, overweight and obesity. The prevalence of underweight is approximately three times more in rural areas (27.6%) as compared to urban areas (8.6%) which may be attributed to gender bias, more physical strenuous lifestyle and lack of knowledge about adequate calorie requirements among adolescents. There is need of operational research and intersectoral collaborations to address the problems of adolescent girls nutrition in the country. Keywords: Adolescent, Nutrition, Underweight, Future generation